Should drugs be decriminalised in Scotland?
20 years ago in Portugal, possessing drugs for personal use was made a health issue - rather than a crime. Could the same thing be done in Scotland to help tackle drug addiction?
Drug addiction is a big problem in Scotland, with the highest rate of drug deaths in Europe - and nearly five times as high as in England. The Scottish Government, under severe pressure to respond, is challenging Westminster to decriminalise the personal use of drugs. This is an idea that's - so far - been rejected by the the UK government, which has control over drug laws.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s Scotland Editor, James Cook, has been to Portugal – where, 20 years ago they decriminalised the possession of drugs for personal use. It became a health issue rather than a crime. So in this episode of 5 Minutes On, James considers whether decriminalisation is the answer to Scotland's drugs crisis.
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